White Elephants In The Twilight
by I Killed Juliet
Summary: Here’s another pity and there’s another missed chance. She's a failure by design.
1. Hello, My Name Is

**disclaimer--**_ I'm not an Asian man named Akira. However, I do own several works created by three different Akria's. Major reconstruction of a previous writing attempt. New style and new take on characters. I do not practice non cannon romances so do not panic. This is a character study of Paris/Valese and how I view her. I proofed this five times so I'm sorry if I missed anything glaring.  
_

* * *

It's wet out. It had been for four days straight and today it had finally let up. That didn't mean it was not beautiful and sunny though, quite the contrary. It's gray and dull. The pavement is wet and it smells like wet cardboard. The sun isn't out and the clouds are smeared over the sky.

Her mother didn't give her so much as a blanket to keep warm. She dumped off onto the first street and took off. She didn't even get to say goodbye. It broke her heart, she'll never seen her mother again, least she could have done is thank her for everything.

Life can be so cruel.

She walked into the alley, her new safe haven and sat down on a makeshift bed. Part of the trash underneath is dry. A soft squeaking caught her attention, she turned her head to the left. A tiny grey rat is at her feet.

"Aaah." Gently, she picks up the smell creature and kisses its nose. Its whiskers tickle her face and she laughs quietly.

"You're sweet." She caresses its back and places the rat onto her lap.

"Hm. I have an idea--you make me feel happy. Rosie. You're now Rosie, is that alright?" Rosie squeaks and lays down.

"I don't have food." She looks over and under a close pile of trash but finds nothing but discarded papers.

"Nope. No food. My mom didn't have time to being me some." She sighs.

She lifts up Rosie and brings her to her chest and then stands to her feet.

"Let's go find something. Do you like cheese?" She bops Rosie onto the head. Rosie nips at her finger.

"You're so darling!" She kisses the top of Rosie's head.

She walks back onto the side to the main street.

"I don't have any money." She bites her lip as she scans buildings.

She is pushed forward with an unexpected force and Rosie is flung from her hands and lands onto another's woman's bosom. She is not thrilled.

"Ah! Get it off of me! Get it off!" She cries and flings her arms as if she is a bird flapping its wings. Our protagonist is forgotten on the ground, gathering her senses.

"Ma'am what is--" A kind sir stops to help the flailing woman, and Rosie is clinging to her still.

"Get this thing off of me!"

He grabs Rosie roughly, and in turn she bites him. He drops her in shock and stomps the ground to kill her. Rosie runs to her owner.

"Hey!" She stands up now.

"That thing bit me!" He holds his hand out to show her.

"Her name is Rosie and you scared her. She's really kind."

"Kid you're--

"My name is-- Valese." She hugs Rosie against her chest.

"I have the mind to sue you!" The woman next to him finally stopped wailing.

"That _thin_g attacked me_!"_

"I'm sorry._"_ Valese backed away.

She ran back to her home in the alley. It was safe from bird women and angry bald men. Rosie fell a sleep in her lap and she forgot about being hungry.

* * *

"You want to work for food?" The man in front of her raised his brow. She nodded.

"Yes. I have no money to pay you but I will work for every meal." He studied her dress. Worn and torn white blouse, and dirty, ripped jeans with a rat's head poking out from her front shirt pocket.

"Why don't you just apply for a waitress position? You get paid and discounted meals." He couldn't tear his eyes from the rat. It stared right at him.

"Oh. Okay."

The rat was glaring at him. He coughed and looked away. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out a white piece of paper and handed it to her.

"Fill this out."

He swore the rat growled. He wiped from from his brow and loosened his tie.

"In fact," he took the paper from her hands and tossed it aside, " start today."

"Oh. Thanks. Um. What do you want me to do?"

"Clean! Just. Uh. Clean the tables and help in the back with dishes and can you-" He pointed to her pocket.

"Yes?" She looked down.

"The um." He trailed off.

"Rosie?" She touched her rat. He nodded.

"Put her somewhere? Most people don't like to eat with rats around." He swore he heard a hiss.

"Oh. Yeah. I'll leave her at home."

"Oh. What's your school schedule like, by the way? Do you have anything--"

"School schedule?" She bit her lip. She didn't attend school.

"You're in high school right? You're what? Fifteen?" He pushed his chair back and put up a paper to block his view of the rat.

"I think so but I don't go to school."

"Home school?"

"No?"

"Oh. So no outside interference then?"

She nodded.

"Drop that rat off and you can start today."

"Thank you!" She walked around his desk and hugged him. He came eye to eye with the rat. He'll have nightmares for weeks.

Valese left his office quickly and skipped all the way to her alley. A cat has been sniffing around so she had kept Rosie in her pocket now but she didn't want to lose her new job. A chance for food for her and Rosie wasn't something she's willing to lose so easily.

"I'm sorry sweetie but you have to stay at home, okay?" She kissed her head before placing Rosie on a pile of garbage.

"Hide from Whiskers. I'll be home as soon as I can with food. I promise." She bopped Rosie on the head and she playfully nipped her finger.

"I love you."

Rosie squeaked and hid under the pile of garbage. Valese ran out of the alley.

Her new boss was pleased to find her ratless and handed her an apron and name tag. She started her shift cleaning off tables and mopping the floor. The head waitress is Cory. She hates her job and wants to be actress. She sings at every opportunity. The patrons of the diner pay her to stop.

Penn, her first friend, has a crush on a boy who eats there sometimes. They go to school together but he doesn't know she exists. It kills her. She writes poetry about it. It's awful but Valese is too kind to say anything.

"Val," Penn grabs her arm one day as she enters the back, " he is here."

Valese puts on her apron and removes Penn's arm from hers. Penn sits on the ground and starts to hyperventilate. Valese peers around the corner. A boy is sitting at one of the booths at the end of the diner. He's reading a book instead of the menu.

Penn is rocking back and fourth now, her breathing is more stable but still erratic

"What's his name?" She turns to Penn.

"T," she breaths in deeply and exhales," unks."

"Tunks?" Valese wrinkles her nose in disgust. What an unpleasant name.

"Trunks." She sounds hurt. She frowns at her friend. Valese turns back to the boy. He's still reading his book.

"He's not looking at the menu." She comments.

"So?" Penn stands now, her breathing back to somewhat normal.

"He knows what he wants."

"He doesn't know I exist." Penn begins her daily swoonfest.

"I've never seen him before." Valese leans against the wall.

"Yes you have. In government." Penn didn't quite grasp that Valese didn't go to her high school.

"I don't go--"

"He just. I don't know. He's not there."

Valese peers around the corner.

"Yes he is. He's still reading."

"I wonder if he is ready." Penn runs a hand through her hair and adjust her shirt.

"I think he is."

"What if he doesn't like me?" Penn starts to lower herself to the ground. Valese helps raise her up.

"Just ask what he wants to eat."

"I can do this." Penn rolls her shoulders, sticks out her chest and starts to walk away. She turns around and comes back. She sits on top of a bag of food.

"I can't."

"I'll ask."

"Oh God. I'm so nervous." She sits on her hands.

"It'll be okay." Valese walks over and pats her shoulder.

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

------------------

It took a moment for him to look from his book. She called out variations of his name. In fact. she just called him Truck and Car. Truck seemed to do the trick.

"Oh. Sorry. Just coffee and water, thanks." He went back to his book.

"What are you reading?"

She didn't have the chance to read much at home but she took every opportunity that had come her way. She read yearbooks, old newspapers and encyclopedias she found in the basement. It was where she had spent majority time when she lived at home.

"Uh. _Winter of our discontent._ I like American authors. Took a course in school about it. Fell in love with Steinbeck."

"I love to read." She forgot about his order.

"Yeah. Same. I wish I could write stories. I'm more mechanical minded, if that makes sense." Valese sat across from him.

"I think so. I didn't have much of a choice. I didn't have books. I wanted books though."

He started to forget about his order.

"I'm sorry."

"I've read some newspapers. Old ones."

He put his book down and gave her his attention.

"Like archives? I was really into history a few years ago. I looked up old stories about the city. I grew out of it. My family is really into science so . . " He trailed off.

"Oh. I don't know what that means but in the basement I found old newspapers, so I would read them. I taught myself to read."

"Impressive."

A sharp cough broke the conversation. Penn stood behind Valese's boss. He was not in good spirits.

"I don't pay you to flirt." He motioned to boy's menu. She remembered his order and slid out of the booth.

"He wants water and coffee." She said to Penn.

"Get him it then." She walked away.

He came back the next day, the boy, and sat in the same booth. He read the same book and ordered the same thing. Valese waited from him to pay before she started a conversation. He wasn't as open.

"That's cool. I'll see you in class." He paid his check with a credit card. She frowned and swiped it.

"I don't go to your school." She handed his card back.

"You look familiar."

"We met yesterday."

He bid farewell and left. She forgot to get him to sign the receipt. Her boss wasn't thrilled.

Next day he wasn't as rushed.

"I had to get to training." He told her.

"Training?" She poured him more coffee.

"I have a job." He said it sadly.

"Oh. I like my job."

"I'm being groomed for my future. I wish I had a choice."

"I see."

"Hey, um." He bit his lip and trailed off.

"Yes?"

"I think your friend is stalking me."

Valese looked behind her and saw something move behind a wall.

"Penn?"

"She writes me poems."

She knew of the poems.

"She reads them to me." She wanted to sit down but the last time she did that her boss got annoyed and Penn threw coffee at her.

"Could you ask her to stop?"

"Why can't you?"

"I don't want to be rude?"

"It's not rude."

She walked over to the table in front of his and filled their cups. Penn ran out from her corner and escorted Valese away.

"What did he say? I heard him say my name!"

"I said your name."

Penn placed her hands over her heart and sighed deeply. She batted her lashes.

"Does he like me?"

"No."

Penn screamed.

* * *

The next day when Valese came into she work she found a "Now Hiring" sign.

She went into to the back to get ready and didn't find Penn or any of the other waitresses.

"Penn quit and I don't know where Cor is. She isn't answering my messages."

"Oh."

She went about filling the pitchers of coffee.

"Your friend is insane."

Valese almost dropped the pitcher. The boy she had been talking to the past few days looked irate.

"Hm?" She placed the pitcher down.

"This."

He handed her a piece of paper. It was a new poem.

"This is--"

"A suicide note."

She wasn't entirely sure what that meant but from the sound of his tone it couldn't be good.

"Uh--"

" It doesn't change how I feel."

"Okay."

"See you later I guess."

"I don't go to your--

"I know. Home schooled or dropout?"

"Neither. I think."

"I feel pretty!" Cory swung the doors open and danced her way in. The boy said nothing else and left.

"Hey." Valese continued her work.

It was strange to see the boy the next day. He wasn't reading but he did have something in his hands.

"New book?" She handed him a glass of water.

"For you." He motioned for her to sit but she waved her hand.

"Working."

"I'll tip you. Just sit down." She did.

"What's this?"

"It's my school." He pushed the it towards it.

"Your school is this?" She poked the document.

"It's like a pamphlet describing my school. Give it to your parents. You should go to it."

"My parents." She scanned it.

"Yeah. They have sign you up for it. Register you, I mean."

"I--okay." She smiled and pushed it back.

"Keep it. See you tomorrow." He left without paying.

"School." She played with the document.

After work she went in her alley and read through what he had given her. She found an address and was able to hail a cab. With Rosie in her pocket she ventured to this place, school.

It's a large building surrounding by other groups of smaller structures. It's beautiful. She gasped when she pulled up in the cab. She paid the kind driver with her paycheck and stepped out. Inside it's even nicer. The halls are cool and the floor is a clean white tile. The walls are covered with posters and a pale paint.

"Oh. Are you Ms. Shu?" A woman poked her head out of a doorway and into the hall. She motioned for Valese to come towards her. She did. The woman closed the door behind her.

"Okay, I spoke to your mother of the phone and we are going over your class schedule today."

Valese didn't know how to respond to anything so she remained quiet. The woman sat behind a desk and began typing something at her computer.

"You are a sophomore, correct? Let's see. You need a math class."

Valese sat on her hands, she did this often when nervous.

"Ah. The only math we have open is for algebra one. Let's see, language. What was it that you wanted? French? Ah. Honors is open! Is that fine?"

She nodded for lack of a better response.

"You have a biology and physical science credit, hm. Would you like chemistry?"

"Yes."

It seemed the right answer, she mused to herself.

"Let's see now, we have a government course open and oh. This one is fun, criminal justice. Lots of students love this course."

"Sound fun." She beamed.

"Okay. I just need to print out your schedule and you can start classes tomorrow. Classes end in a few minutes."

Valese exited out into the hall. A few students by this were by the lockers and some were heading to the doors leading out.

"Val?" A voice called from behind. She turned around, not expecting to see him. She felt her blood turn cold. He waved shyly.

"Hey." She waved back awkwardly. This feeling, in her stomach, she couldn't place it.

"Your parents did it?"

The boy standing next to him laughed and said something she couldn't hear. The boy she knew walked over.

"Anyway, did you start classes today? What's your schedule?" She handed him the piece of paper.

" French. I took that too." As he hands it back, Rosie poked her head out of Valese's pocket and bites at the paper. He jumps back.

"Hello!"

"I have to go!"

She ran out the doors.

She didn't remember or pay attention to how she got back to her alley but she didn't notice she was even there until after she sat down. It's late. Her boss is most likely furious she hadn't shown up for her shift and now she had a new responsibility she knew nothing about. The night drifted away as she hugged Rosie to her chest and fell asleep.

The next morning she woke up before the sun rose. Her shift wasn't for another hour and she had no idea what do about the school situation. Her boss and Cory were the only ones she thought of seeking advice.

"You're starting school? Damnit, V. I need you for the morning shift. I'm down a waitress and Cory drives away customers when she's alone!" Her boss liked to hit things in his rage. He chose to slap a menu against a table every third word.

"I want to see what it is. I will quit if I don't like it. I need to change to afternoon--"

"V I cannot believe, " smacked the counter, " you would just," smacked the counter," do this." He sighed and then smacked the counter.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to hate it." She bowed her head to show him she still respected him.

"What's your damage, Biff?" Cory swatted him with her tray as she walked passed.

"Cor--" He was now in spitting mode as well. Valese wiped her face with her sleeve.

"Biff." Cory turned around to face him.

"Cory. Listen to--"

"Valese is going to school. Give the kid a break for wanting to better her situation." Cory smiled at Valese and gave her a thumps up. Valese didn't return either. She turned on her heel and walked out.

She paid the cab with another pay check and walked into the main building. Her blood turned cold again as she made her way down the hall.

* * *

She's never been a fan of crowds and eating in a place so open and public is quite disgusting an painful. It's loud and the room smells like rotted fish. How can anyone eat in this dreadful ambiance is beyond her reasoning and all logic.

"Hey."

Valese looked down at her food. A boy she didn't know had just joined her. She tried to focus on her plate. She put her hand to block her eyes from looking at him.

"We have a mutual friendship."

She continued to stare at the white substance on her plate.

"Trunks." She flinched. She knew that name.

"Ah. See. He has this lunch. He's- hey!" The boy stood up and waved his arm wildly. Valese gave up trying to ignore him.

Trunks joined them shortly and sad down quietly. He had a book in his hand as well as a tray of food. She's never seen him eat before.

"No coffee today?" She hates her own comment.

"Uh?" He shrugs off her question and opens his book.

"And they say my brother is a nerd."

"I have better taste."

Valese stared at his tray and then at Trunks. Would he eat? It's almost like a game in her mind.

"Are you hungry?"

She's never one for deep conversation.

"A bit. Hence the tray of food." He didn't look up from his book.

"Oy." The boy next to Trunks stands up abruptly and spills his drink all over his tray. He thrusts out his hand into Valese's face. She awkwardly shakes it.

"Goten."

She nodded.

"And?"

"Nice . . . hands." She let go of his.

"Her name is Valese." Trunks turned a page of his book.

"Cool name." Goten sat back down.

"I want to change it." She poked the white substance.

"Cool, cool. To what?"

He leaned forward on his hands.

"Paris." Her eyes grew large for a moment.

He laughed.

"Paris?

"I want to be Paris." She pushed her tray forward and swung her legs around the bench.

"I have to go."

And she left.


	2. Bittersweet memories

_The call to arms was never true_  
_ I'm medicated, how are you?_  
_ Let's take a dive, swim right through_  
_ Sophisticated points of view_

_Follow the cops back home, Placebo  
_

* * *

Cold. Wet. Damp. The basement didn't have heat and it never will. There was no need to heat it. No one lived in the basement. Just It. It has long locks of golden brown hair, the shined in the light. It was nearly six, taught itself how to read from old papers and books down in the basement. It has never seen the light of day other than from what crept out the window.

It heard angry loud voices from way up there, the door at the end of the climb. There was something different about tonight. The air didn't feel as heavy as it usually is. Acid burned her throat, her stomach rumbled. Something isn't right.

Courage is something It doesn't have. Courage is what's needed to climb those-- It closed its eyes and--Paris opened them. She grabbed the rail, tightly her hands were-- she climbed the stairs and opened the door. The light overpowered her senses. Hands over eyes, she walked into the house and the door shut behind her. . .

Pain. She felt a rush of white hot intensity flow through her hand. Valese whipped her head backwards, she hit her head against the brick of the wall behind her. Rosie's mouth clamped down onto a part of her hand by her thumb.

Rosie's never. . .

Valese shook her head, and rubbed her eyes and looked back down. Rosie, moved but the evidence remained. Her hand poured blood from the fresh wound. Rosie settled back down against her.

It has been hours since she had left school and fell asleep in her alley, her safe haven. She belonged in this place, not out there. She started to understand why she never knew about it. School. A strange place indeed.

"Did I roll on top of you?" Valese nuzzled Rosie's head before carefully placing her on the ground as she stood up. She needed to clean the wound and the requires walking.

Next door to the alley is an old abandoned building, it used to be an apartment complex but has now been shut down for years. For unknown reasons the water has not been shut off and Valese takes advantage of that. She bathes three times a week in one of the many showers at her disposal.

However, there is no electricity and this has in the past, proven to be quite difficult.

"Ala!" Valese sings, she is in luck. She isn't on her last match. She holds the candle hidden behind the old front desk close to her as she walk in the pitch black.

The roof has caved in throughout the building, mold has eaten through the walls and chunks of plaster is missing. The floor squeaks with each step and sometimes. . .

"Ah!"

The candle drops from her hands, flame burns out as it hits the all. Valese feet have broken through the floor and she is stuck. Her socks are caught around something poking up from the floor. She can't move her feet without an intense burning sensation.

"Par," Valese clenches her teeth and pushes her palms off of the floor, "is," she pulls her left foot out of the new hole, it brushes against something sharp and she can hear the skin break open.

Using both of her hands she manages to get her other foot free with less pain. The candle is burned out. Valese sighs and feels her around the dark. She used to this, she has the place memorized, the candle was just a security blanket.

She liked the dark because it's safe.

"_The darkness is where vile creatures like you belong."_ Her mother used to say to her. She's right. her fingers traced a familiar niche of the wall. The apartment where her favorite shower resides. She stepped over the hole at the door and careful walked to the bathroom, both arms out, feeling her surroundings.

The cold rush of the water made her skin tingle and burned. Coldness it's something she's never prepared for no matter how many times she has come to use this shower. When she lived with her parents they would make her takes baths in cold water and sometimes they-- Valese turned her head to rid herself of the memories. She didn't live with them and she didn't deserve-- she ran her foot hurt under the cold water.

The pain in hand where Rosie bit her came back as she turned the handle of the shower. She washed both hands with the cold water but she lacked soap, however water hasn't let her down yet. There is not heat so there is no way to get the water warm. She would like a warm shower. She heard nice things about them from her parents and Cory.

Rosie didn't like to take showers. Valese smiled as she remembered the last time she had attempted this. Rosie ran out of the shower and hid in one of the upstair rooms. She spent a good hour trying to find her.

"Hello darkness," Valese sang as she cleaned off her feet, " you're my only friend."

"That song." She lifted her head. She couldn't remember how she knew those words.

"_Stop__!**"**_

Valese fall backwards onto her rear. There's no way she could search for anyone in the pitch black without her candle..

"I'm going insane. No wonder I'm no Paris." She frowned. Valese rubbed the side of her head. Memories liked to take hold of her reality at times when she was weak. Or least when not expecting it.

"_The light shines in the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not."_

Valese shook her head. Her mother's voice played over and over in her head. She often heard her talking when she was alone in the dark. She wrapped her arms around her front.

"I miss you." She whispered.

Valese lowered her head, closed her eyes and welcomed the darkness.

---

She woke up wet and feeling heavy. Valese opened an eye. The shower hasn't been turned off and overflowed the tub. The floor where she slept is covered with water. Her clothing is soaked. She noticed her hands now were shaking.

With the light of the day her trek to the alley is now made easier. She could see the holes, where not to step and weak spots.

She put her hands over her eyes as she stepped out onto the street.

"Val! Oy!"

She turned her body to the source of the voice.

"Trunks?"

"You're wet." He nodded his head to her clothing.

"Yes. The shower."

"I've never tried that."

He looked down at his feet.

"Tried what?"

She twisted her sleeve, ringing out the water.

"Showering with my clothes still on."

" Me either."

She took off the jacket and rolled it up in a ball.

"Do you need a ride for school?"

"I need to get dressed."

She headed for her alley.

"Do you want a ride?"

"Okay."

She kept walking.

The sun is too bright out today. It's cruel. Her eyes couldn't open and she had trouble keeping them open. Trunks watched her as she walked into the alley.

After a moment or two Valese ran across the street and opened the door to the passenger side of the car and got in. Trunks started up the car and there were off.

He wanted to ask her why she got dressed in an alley. He practiced asking in his head. Three ways of asking. Three jokes to cover and three reasons why it's not healthy to live in an alley. He couldn't remember the words or reasons.

"Do you do your homework?" He closed his eyes in self annoyance.

"My what?"

"Homework. You know, stuff they assign for you to do outside of class."

He wasn't good at conversations.

"Oh. I don't know. Is it important?"

"It depends on your teacher."

He sounded like a parent. He shrugged it off. Parents.

"Do you live with your--" He stopped. Maybe it's too personal of a question. They were not that close. He tried to focus on driving. Maybe she has no one. .

"Hm?"

Her eyes focused on the scenes that passed by her window. She didn't like talking either.

"Nothing."

Trunks eyes snapped back into attention. He pressed the breaks hard and Valese's head hit the front dash board hard.

"Wha--"

Valese grabbed the bridge of her nose and looked around. Words and thoughts escaped her. The sun left the sky, all that remained is a dark void. Several cars stopped along the road and many left their cars and wandered the streets.

"Where did the sun go?"

Valese turned to Trunks. He looked tense. His hands still gripped the wheel, his knuckles were white.

"I don't know."

"Maybe it--hey!"

Slowly the darkness faded, it's like a flashlight taking over a dark room. The sun returned and light dominated the sky.

"That's good right?"

Buzzing. Trunks left the wheel, but his eyes stayed ahead. He flipped the phone open with his thumb and placed it by his ear.

"I Know. Right."

He closed the phone and started the car.

"Something wrong?"

"I don't know. Hows your nose?"

"It only hurts when I breathe."

----

"Nice nose piece."

"What?"

She touched her nose, the nurse placed a strange bandage on it. It's lunch time again. Trunks pulled her aside when found her. He found a table outside in the courtyard. His friend, Goten ran off for more food. He's a strange boy.

" He's nice."

Valese played with the sandwich he (Trunks) had purchased for her. The meat is bland the bread is too--it sticks to the top of her mouth. Hard to eat, swallow and speak. The bread is a better toy than food. She rolls pieces up with her thumb and index finger.

"Goten?"

He looked up from his book. She's never seen him eat. Valese holds out her sandwich, he pushes it away.

"I'm good."

"I'm sorry."

She lowers it, the sandwich and looks around. It's a nice day. Sky is mostly clear, the sun is still in the sky like it should be.

"Why do you think--"

"I just watched two cheerleaders fight over a carrot."

Goten sat down next to Valese, he looked--

"You have--"

"Did you fall into a salad?"

Lettuce fell from his ear.

"I told you, the cheerleaders fought over a carrot." He flicked one to Trunks, he caught it with grace that surprised Valese.

"It's a good look for you."

She smiled. He stared back, smiling. Something about his eyes. She got lost in them. She had to force herself to look away. Staring isn't nice, you can steal someone's-- Valese looked down at the ground.

"Did you see it?"

She tore more pieces of bread of the sandwich. She almost had nothing left.

"See wha?"

Trunks remained silent, Goten's mouth full of food.

"The sun," Valese looked up," it left. Everything was dark."

"O." He swallowed. His face was, what's the right word for it?

"Eclipse."

Trunks turned a from his book, his eyes never left.

"Uh." Goten scratched the back of his head.

"That's all that happened."

"Okay."

Her insides told her he was lying. She tried to silence them.

The rest of the day blended together. Valese soon found herself in the middle of a hallway full of excited students rushing to the door. She had no way home. She took her time walking.

"Hey."

She turned.

Trunks. He found her walking in the parking lot. He stood against his car.

"Hey." She pulled hair behind her ear and stood there.

"Ride?"

She nodded.

"Can I ask you something?"

She set down and leaned against the lush leather.

"Yes."

She sighed contented. The seat is very nice.

"Why do you live in alley?"

There is something about his voice that captures her attention. His face is sad. He doesn't look very happy. She's never notice before, she's never seen him smile. Least not very often.

"Where else would I stay?"

She couldn't look away.

"I mean, your parents?"

She shook her head.

"I don't deserve that."

"Do they know?"

"Yes. They've told me."

"No I mean do they--told you? That--"

"I don't deserve them." She repeated. Her voice stronger. She leaned against the leather seat, it didn't make her feel quite as relaxed.

"Do you want me to take you to the alley?"

"Where else?"

"I'm sorry."

She shut her eyes trying to pass the time.

"Thank you."

She figured she dozed off because the next time she opened her eyes, they were at her alley. Trunks put the car in park and walked over to her side of the car. Valese opened the door and nearly hit him.

"Limp."

Valese shifted the balance of her feet.

"Cut myself."

"Does it hurt?"

She lifts her foot.

"When I walk."

He looked down. A sickly green and yellow rash wrapped around the top of her ankle.

"I think it's infected. You should go see someone about it." He tried to sound casual.

"See who?"

"A doctor." He shrugged. He leaned forward and back on the base of his feet.

"I don't think I have one." She clicked her tongue, calling for Rosie.

"Unorthodox." He muttered.

"Yes?"

"Car."

He moved back toward the car, he knew where he wanted and what he needed to do. Valese follow him in awe.

"My parents will not like this plan." He pulled back on the lever.

"Then we--"

"Will explain to them later. They're good people."

"My parents are good." She rested against the window.

-----------

Cold.

The numbing cold from the water made her skin tingle and her insides lurch and retract. She arched her back from the more pleasurable sensation. Unlike most kids, Valese loved her bathes.

She kicked out her foot, the lighter, cooler air helped her breathe easier. The down side about hot bathes--heat always made her breathing go crazy. No matter, she loved the heat. It calmed her.

"What do you think you're doing? You contaminated the water!" Her mother scolded sharply. Her gray eyes narrowed, burning with intense hatred. Valese shrank back in the tub.

"I'm sorry mommy."

Her mother pulled her out of the tub by her wrist and smacked her.

"Do not call me that!" She hissed.

"It won't--"

"This isn't something you're supposed to mock. This a _holy _rite. Do you think our Lord finds it amusing to see you, you spreading your filth so carelessly?"

"Ven," Valese's father startled both by his presence," what have we talked about?" He placed his hand upon his wife shoulder. His fingers curled into her skin. His wife winced in pain.

"I forgot myself." She said breathlessly. She bowed her head. He released her shoulder.

"Ready to begin, my dear?"

His wife nodded.

"Well," he claps his hands together, " hold Its head under water. I'll read the Scripture."

His wife lowered herself to her knees. Valese watched both of her parents with curiosity. Her mother leaned forward and placed both both hands onto her head. Valese held her breath as she felt her head forced under.

"Wake up. Sunshine!" A male voice sang into the darkness. Valese rose from the bottom of the water--

"She awakes!"

This place isn't the bathroom of her family's house. A room. A white room. Too white. Goten and Trunks are on opposite sides of the bed she is currently lying on top of. Goten extends his hand, holding a single red rose.

"For you. Couldn't afford a full bouquet but thought you'd like it."

She took it. The flower's a vibrant red and smelled like rain. Perfect.

"Thanks. Why are you giving me this?" She placed it on the tray next to her bed.

"Thought it'd cheer you up. Heard you were sick and you missed a few days of school." He shrugged.

"I missed school?" She frowned and then turned to Trunks.

"You were a sleep for three days. Your leg was in worse shape than I thought. Medicine knocked you out. My parents will not be happy if they see the bill. Convinced them you were on the insurance. Not an easy task."

"Oh. Thanks."

"You were gurgling. In your sleep I mean." Goten stares at her hand.

"I was?"

"Yep. You look good by the way. I mean for someone who is sick." Trunk coughed from the other side of her. She swore she heard a laugh.

"Th--Rosie!" She shut up from the bed and tried to climb out. Her hand still attached to the IV and monitor.

"Ow. What the?" She pulled the clear plastic tubing.

"It's how the medicine is getting into your body." Trunks explained.

"I have to check on Rosie! Whiskers likes to go to the corner when I'm not there, I have to make sure she is okay!" Valese tugged at the thin tube.

"We can check for you." Trunks rose from his chair and Goten copied his movement.

"Thanks." The medicine kicked in she mused. Her body felt so tired and weak. She could hardly keep her head up.

A few days later Valese found herself released from the hospital and back to her corner with her precious Rosie. The rose Goten had given wilted shortly after he presented it. She buried it properly in the dumpster next to her bed.

Usually it is quite quiet at night around her corner. Not tonight. The wind, usually, brings a certain comfort, brought a chill. It ran up and down her spine and the hairs on her arms stood on end. Feels like an electric current is passing through her body.

Whiskers, the local cat isn't yowling or howling like usual. The noises? Someone muttering. And laughter. A high pitched almost childish, laughter. It sounds cruel and inhuman. Her insides twisted and turned. Valese held Rosie close to her chest protectively. Usually at this time of night, Rosie would run free to stretch her legs, but Valese didn't dare to let her move about.

"Please, please. I did what you asked!" A trembly voice cried out. Valese sat straight up like a shot out of bullet. The voice, the voice is coming towards her! , still clutching Rosie, scooted backwards to the brick wall behind the dumpster.

Laughing. High pitched and nearly deafening was the response the voice received. Valese put both hands to her ears, forgetting Rosie for a moment. Rosie fell to the ground and ran straight out of the alley.

"Rosie!" Valese clamped both hands over her mouth in shock.

"So-someone help me!" The trembly voice cried out. Valese tried to pull the dumpster to block her from view.

"Please!" The voice came closer and closer. Valese shut her eyes.

"You can't!"

Whatever the other thing or person couldn't do, she will never know. A bright pink light shot up from the opening of the alley and struck the man in the center of his chest. Valese opened her eyes just as the man eviscerated.

Valese was quite eager for the sun to rise. Trunks pulled up to the street and she ran to it, climbed inside and locked the door.

"Rush."

She ignored him and closed her eyes

Classes were for the most part a blur. Her math teacher expressed her distaste for her absences and her foreign language was just as unpleasant.

"You seem detached today." Goten's carrot snapped as he took a bite of from it.

"Long night." She pushed her lunch away.

"What happened?" Trunks lowered his book.

"Nothing. I think I watched someone die."

Goten nearly spit out and choked on his food.

"How is that nothing!" Goten managed once he stopped coughing.

"I think you need a new place to stay." Trunks frowned.

"I like my alley. It's on a nice corner. My parents want me to stay here."

Goten and Trunks exchanged sorrowful looks.

"I think you could stay with me for awhile." Trunks offered.

"I don't, I don't want to insult my parents."

"Just for a few days."

"We can help you pack!" Goten said that a bit to excitedly.

"Right. What happened to the--"

"The man? Oh. He disappeared into the light."

"Light?"

"Oh, yes. Pink light. Very bright."

"Energy blast." Goten whispered. Trunks kicked him from under the table.

"Hm?"

"Nothing." Goten rubbed his leg, glaring at Trunks.

Valese couldn't help but think they were keep something from her.


	3. An Interlude Trunks & Pink Elephants

_An interlude_

Before we go back and explore Valese/Paris and her story, lets delve into Trunks's past for a bit. Take the to time understand where he is in his life at the moment. It all boils down to a fear he developed as a child.

Fear's can shape people and they can destroy as much as they can create. However, not all fears have such impact. Let's say for the lack of a better example, someone should fear clowns. This could mean that they would not be a going to the circus anytime soon and probably will avoid children birthday parties. Why would anyone attend a child's birthday party without knowing the child is- but let's digress. The point is, not all fears have a powerful hold over us. They can but not always.

As a child Trunks had always been rather fond of his father. He's was everything Trunks longed to be when he grew up; brave, powerful, strongest man in the world, nay, the universe. When he (his father) entered a room, he demanded respect. You couldn't help but be in awe. Also, as most children who are proud and fond of said father's they believe that they are invincible. Nothing can hurt or destroy these creatures for that would be blasphemy.

But Trunks knew that his eyes had no deceived him as he watched a wad of bloated chewing gum had beaten his father- his hero. Everything he knew and believed to be true about the universe had been proven wrong in that moment. The days, weeks and months had blurred together but before he knew he it, he had faced the same evil that took his father away from him. And in instant he knew, what it was like to die.

There was no bright light and he didn't;t see his life flash before his eyes. Darkness. He remembers dark and being alone. Void. He didn't feel safe, happy, free from pain and other unpleasant things. He felt nothing.

After a time, he found himself on solid ground, with corporeal beings. He felt the heat from the sun and felt the rocks under his feet. He missed the void. He didn't want anyone to know this so he would smile. Oh, he smiled like he meant it and everyone believed it.

A memory that stands out during this period of his life comes from his tenth birthday. His mother noticed that something had been off about her son. He didn't smile or laugh quite as loud or as much as he had. So what way to cure this then to throw a massively cool party in honor of her son?

False.

Disaster. The caterers ran out of the black and blue frosting she had requested for the cake and so, her son was left with a bright pink cake. She remembered her son saying something about liking elephants when he was four, so pink elephant cake. Delicious, yes?

As soon as Trunks laid his eyes on the cake, he screamed. He felt his heart beat out of his chest. His muscles tenses and he felt so very hot. After his screaming had ceased be fell unconscious. When he recovered he had been asked what the problem was.

He answered, " I don't like the color pink."

In fact he has been scared of that particular color since he was eight and he still feared it to this day.

His parents knew something hadn't been quite right about the boy but they didn't want to bring it up if he wasn't causing harm. After a few months, he began to isolate himself and sink further into depression. He was brilliant when it came to maths and science. He was fortunate enough to have very clever parents he inherited the gift of genius. The problem was, that he had at first shown great interest into his school work until one day he realized that was expected.

"You're a very bright boy, Trunks! The world's going to expect great things from you." One of his teachers had remarked after he passed yet another exam structured for someone working on a PHD. It was at that moment he made a promise to himself. The world didn't deserve great things from _him _unless it could take it back. After that day he failed assignments and tests on purpose, skipped classes and his perfect grades went out the window.

At home, he locked himself in his room for hours. He hardy spoke to his parents without them prodding. He expressed no interest in spending time with his father when he spent most of his childhood trying to get father's approval. The boy just didn't care.

There was only person who could get through to him-his best friend Goten. It was great misfortune how little they could communicate however, being so far away and Trunks hating phones.

"I died too." Goten said to him. He had grown tired of his friends depression and "self righteous emo pity."

"I know that." Trunks usually had forgotten he wasn't the only one who had been affected.

"It wasn't a picnic for me either you know. It was dark and scary and I never want to go back there again. I like life. I like living. I enjoy everything that comes with living. The good, the pain and the bad. It means you are doing something if you feel something." When did he lose his naivety?

"I feel nothing."

Goten was not amused. He punched him in the nose. Trunks had been out of practice after years of training neglect.

"Did you feel that?"

He understood. He looked up at his friend. Goten looked back with desperation, need and a tiny glimmer of hope.

"Thank you."

At the insistence of Bulma, Goten and Trunks had managed to go to the same high school. Goten got the best high school education and Trunks was able to stick around the person who reminded him of his humanity. It was a perfect situation.


	4. What Can't Pie Do?

_Hark! The Devil dances.  
_

He had asked her after their last class if she would like to somewhere. When she asked where, he simply said, "Anywhere and everywhere." She would have squealed in delight at the thought of an adventure. Friend. She had a friend outside of her dear Rosie but. The way he looked at her when he asked her . . why did he have to look like Mr. Whiskers after he got into a tussle with Sparkles?

"What's this?"

He had parked outside of a building a few blocks from her alley. Trunks says nothing as he takes the key from the ignition. He wasn't the most talkative person when they did have moments together but he was bordering on annoyingly mute. He opened the door and removed himself from the car, he hunched his shoulders as if carrying a heavy burden. She mimicked his actions and following to the building.

"Trunks?" She tried to get him into any kind of conversation. Silence was her friend for years and now she wanted someone else to spend the days with.

"Shelter." He said quietly. He shoved his hands into his pockets, bowed his head and walked. She followed after a moment.

Inside it looked like a giant play area she's seen from windows she's passed. Several people all around. Some playing a game Trunks told her was called ping pong. A woman in a white three piece suite extends her hands, almost whacking Valese in the nose.

"Hello! I'm Keila. Are you Valese?" Her smile was too wide for her face. Valese took a step and nodded. Keila released a deep sigh and clapped her hands together.

"Your friend told us you -well you can tell me you your story, can't you? Thank you. I need to talk to her alone." She looked at Trunks pointedly and he took several steps away. Vaelse wanted to reach out to him.

"I'll be in the car."

Before she could protest he disappeared in a mass of people and she felt herself being pulled away. It was like she was being taken over by a strong current and she couldn't free herself. What was this place and why had he taken her here?

Keila led Valese into an office. It was much nicer than the one she had seen at the diner she worked. The walls were clean and gleamed brightly in pristine white. Several framed lacking pictures covered her walls. That struck her as odd. What else can you possibly frame? Pictures were the only thing that had made sense to her.

The desk in the center of the room looked like it had seen better days. The paint job had all but peeled off and now covered in papers and she could sing the rings from cups.

"Valese. Tell me about yourself." Keila sat down behind the desk and leaned forward, placing her head on her hands and her elbows steadied her.

"Oh. My name is Valese but I am thinking that maybe Palace or something sounds better. I'm not sure if I want to keep Valese very much longer. I really like Paris or maybe Parasue? Oh! Candlette. I don't really know and why am I here?"

Keila smile made her feel strange. She looked away and felt her cheeks burn.

"You didn't answer my question." She said pleasantly.

"You didn't ask me a question?" She rubbed her arms and tried not to tap her feet.

"You're right. Can you tell me about yourself outside of your name?"

Oh.

"My best friend's name Rosie. She's the sweetest thing." Valese felt a surge of happiness. She always felt happy when it came to Rosie. Keila nodded.

"That's great! When did you meet her?"

Valese closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. She saw images and moments flash in her mind. She opened her eyes and nearly jumped out of her skin.

"A few months ago. After my mom dropped me off at my new home. I was rather lonely but she came to me. I think she was lonely too. Her whole family was killed."

Valese had expected Keila's smile to fade or at least make an attempt to be consoling. She remained unchanged. It was greatly disturbing. Even Trunks frowned at that story!

"That's awful but Valese, I want to know about _you_." Keila's eyes twinkled.

"Oh. Um. I go to the same school as Trunks. He's my other best friend. He can actually talk back. Sometimes. Not today really. I'd like to know why, can I go and-"

"After we're finished. Continue." Keila waved her hand in circles. Valese rubbed her arm again. She scratched herself for a few seconds before she caught on to what she had been doing. Keila noticed this and took out a pen and wrote something down on one of the many papers that cluttered her desk.

"His friend is really keen on me. He gave me a flower once. It smelled like the sun and decay. Reminded me of rain." She felt something churn in her stomach and she suppressed a giggle.

"Sounds like he has a crush. Do you like him?" Kelia looked up from what she been writing. She wasn't smiling in that odd way and Valese allowed herself to take a step closer.

"I don't not like anyone."

She couldn't hate. She wasn't programed that way. She didn't tell Trunks but her favorite part of her day for awhile now has been seeing Goten at lunch. He could say such the sweetest things. .

"You went away for a moment. Tell me more about you. You don't live with your parents, correct?"

She could acid rising in her veins and start to boil. Bile rose up to her throat and she tried t swallow back all the pain and rage. She didn't like to talk about her family. What business was it this woman's anyway?

"I don't want to talk about my family. They're good people." She took a step back and felt her eyes burn.

Keila leaned forward again.

"Why do you live alone? Was it your choice?"

"_Live with the other street urchin. It's what you deserve."_ Valese found great interest in the desk. Peeling white flecks of paint chips begging to be ripped apart. She reached out but a loud snap brought out of the thrall.

"No."

Why'd she feel like she betrayed her family with just a simple word?

"This is a shelter for teens and runaways and for those. . who just need a place to regroup. We have four floors of living quarters, the rec room as you saw as you came in, is in the main lobby. We have a staff of fifteen counselors and do work with social workers." Keila folded her hands together and instead of her off smile, she had a deadly serious frown set in place. Valese felt the cool rivers of relief take over.

"We do have a contract we have everyone sign should you decide to stay in our care. You are also required to take part in school. We tutors come in and hold classes on the second floor." She handed Valese a paper.

"I go to school." She said. Keila waved her hand in circles again.

"We're better."

Something in the way that was said stung her sides.

"I wont be able to see Trunks for lunch." Or Goten. She couldn't say that out loud or it would become fact.

"He can visit you and vice versa." Keila unfolded her hands and smiled at Valese. The smile she hated. She tried not to tear the paper in pieces out of principle. Unnerving smiling is just rude.

* * *

She didn't mention the offer to stay or the school policy when she met back up with Trunks. He seemed to gather that he had made a mistake and drove her to the mall. She was totally in awe by everything. The clothing, the smells and the crowds of humans. All coming together for one purpose- reckless abandonment of paychecks. She could get used to this.

"I didn't know if you'd like this." Trunk said as they sat down for a food break. She had no more money left to spend so Trunks offered to pay for lunch. Something she realized came upon her as she poked her food.

"I've never seen you eat." She took a bite of her king pow chicken. He stared wordlessly. He already pulled out a book from his bag.

"I'm not hungry." He said in a tone that suggested he was far away.

"It's weird. Do you not like food? I've seen cats get really skinny and gross from not eating. Then they die." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. She managed to shrug it off and continue to eat.

"I have nothing against food. I just don't feel like eating." He sounded agitated. It was not a good sound for him.

"Why? Food is good! Try this!" She leaned over the table and tried to feed him a piece of the chicken from her dish. He moved his head violently to the side and nearly fell out of his seat.

"Get off!" He pushed her backwards. She crossed her arms angrily in defeat.

"You don't have to be a dingbat you know. Do you eat? Ever?"

Realizing he wasn't going to get to actually read he stopped trying and in his own defeat, sighed.

"I don't like eating in public. I don't like eating in general because I hate how much my body needs. I hate that I constantly feel hungry. Like I am so sort of gross, bloated pink mass of-" He trailed off. She stared at him.

"You're lilac. Maybe lavender. I love food! Sometimes at work I eat a whole pie." She smiled like she was quite proud of this fact.

"I'm not a dessert person." He said this rather repulsed.

"I don't think we can be friends, if you don't like pie." She said deadly serious.

"If I eat something will you promise to never bring this back up?" He reached for his wallet and she nodded.

She had a feeling there was more to say on this subject so she was glad she had been able to hide her fingers crossed hand. She didn't like cheating but she couldn't let this one go.


	5. Firefly

The air was cool and the grass was warm, stiff and a bit itchy. The air smelled like rain and tastes like chalk and dust. It reminded her of her old home. The basement. She wrapped her arms around her chest. She missed home sometimes. She could feel the want to go back there in her bones but her place now was here. Not with them. They didn't need her. They deserved better.

"Fireflies." Valese said softly. Her companion lifted his head and turned to face her.

"Hmm?" His eye slowly follow her gaze. Her eyes are wide with childlike wonder and glee. She lifts her our her hand to try to reach a family of fireflies.

"To you believe in reincarnation?" She turned her head round quick to face him before snapping back to the fireflies in front of her.

"I never gave much though to that kind of. . . stuff." Goten lays back down, his head on his hands.

"Stuff?" She squints her eyes. She's not quite sure what he means.

"I don't know. Religion. Reincarnation. Y'know. Stuff." He yawns loudly and closes his eyes, they suddenly became so heavy.

"I don't know much about religion. I just like the thought of coming back new. Fresh. Different. No more sin. No one knows what you were. Just. Is."

She closes her hands and squeals in delight. She's caught one! She rushes to Goten's side and shows him.

"Open eyes saysme." She shoulder bumps him. His eyes open one at a time. He jolts at the sight before relaxing.

"I think I'd love to be a firefly. Bringing light to everything." She opens her palms and lets the bug fly off.

"You can do that now." His cheeks redden. Even he knows how lame and cheestastic that had sounded.

"Change into a firefly?" She wrinkles her nose and squints. He loves that look. Her confused face.

"No. Bring light to people's lives."

She ponders this before accepting. She smiles.

"Okay."

She lays down and falls next to him. He moves away and she instinctively moves closer to him. he awkwardly raises his arm, hesitates, attempts to wrap his arm around her but changes his mind at the last second and lowers it back to his side.

"Trunk's is turning sixteen." He says, trying maintain his voice at normal sounding level.

"He never said." She looks up into his eyes. His heart melts.

"Oh. Well. He's not for birthdays." His eyes zero in on her lips. They parted slightly.

"Why not?" She plays with the grass next to her.

"Bad experience when he turned nine. Don't think he likes cake." He shrugs. He tenses. He touched her when his shoulder moved. He looks back over at her.

"Goten?"

Oh God yes.

"Yeah?" He tries make his voice sound sexy.

"You're drooling."

He wipes his mouth furiously with his sleeve, cursing the gods of cool and love.

"He told me he didn't like pie. Has he ever tried it? Pie?" She turns her focus onto the sky. Making animals out of the clouds. She smiles as she spies Rosie up there with her family. One day but hopefully not too soon.

"He's had it before. Sort of went through something when he was younger. He used to laugh," Goten frowns something awful," he used to be happier. He was fun. We used to play these terrible pranks on my brother." He smiles fondly.

"What happened when he was eight?" She leaves the family reunion in the sky for a moment.

"Just. Stuff." He shrugs off the question and sighs.

"He doesn't talk much. Trunks." She sits up and leans froward, resting her chin on her knees.

"No."

"We could throw him a party at the diner. Maybe he'll even eat!" Valese says excitedly.

"Think his mom is trying to do something. She likes epic parties."

"Did his mom throw the party he didn't like when he was nine" Goten nods and Valese smiles.

"He'll like ours." She's very confidant.

"Val-"

"He'll like it. He's my best friend. He'll eat pie and cake and have fun. He'll laugh and smile and don't call me Val."

"I love pie."

He didn't feel comfortable diving into how much of it he could eat in one sitting. That was for another date.

"Good."

* * *

Bulma was at the end of her rope. Or at least nearing it. She wasn't sure what to do about her son anymore. He refused therapy and medications. So stubborn. He was just like his father. It turned her hair the wrong colors when she thought about it.

He used to have a spark about him. He was so . . wired when he was younger. He was the leader of a two man gang. Hr got up to mayhem and mischief but now. Now he just sits at home locked up in his room. Don't think she didn't notice that he didn't eat the appropriate amount a half Saiyan needs either. She crumbled up those weight gaining bars athletes eat, when he did eat just to help and attempt to keep him somewhat balanced and stable.

The only good thing about this year she noted, is that he found a new friend. She keeps him out the house and he is just that much more social. Bless her. But. It's. Not. Enough.

She couldn't spend too much on him either. She a wayward toddler and a business to run and a husband to-well he stop his death threats on certain staffers but anyway. The point is she wanted her to son to get back his light and be her well son again. She missed that boy. The things you start to notice when they are missing. The curve of his smile, how his eyes would almost shimmer and glow when he was happy or excited. Or that smirk. That Vegeta smirk. Where did that boy go?

Her son, funny he still looks the same, was lounging on the family sofa. A rare occurrence now. he was reading something. She took a deep breath and prayed to the heavens above that this would go over smoothly.

"Hey Trunks."

Yes. Great start.

He lefts his head up and acknowledges her presence. Good so far. She lowers her shoulders, as if releasing a great strain.

"Your birthday is coming up in a few days." She closed her eyes and waited for the war.

"Is it?" Trunk said sounding disinterested.

"Yes. Do you-er want to do anything this year?" He went back to his book.

"Family dinner I suppose. Not one for parties and I know that's what you were really after. Throw Goten a party when he turns fifteen next month."

She would not be defeated.

"What about inviting some friends over for birthday dinner? Goten and maybe that girl from school you've been hanging out with? Girlfriend?"

He never expressed interest in the romantics. She found it unnerving. But then again, his father had been the same way.

"Bleh. No. She's out with Goten right now. We're not like that mom."

Not girlfriend. She sighed disappointed.

"Well, they could still come to dinner." She really wanted him to have a good day. She needed him to have a good day.

"If it means that much to you, fine. Dinner with the Son's and Valese, who's not my girlfriend."

"Oh. I'll need to order more food than I had planned." She calculated the cost in her head.

"Hellooooo!"

Trunks snorted in frustration and tossed the book aside. Clearly he wouldn't be able to read anytime soon. Goten jumped onto the sofa whereas Valese kindly introduced herself to Bulma.

"I didn't hear you come in. They didn't call either. Usually security stops people." Bulma frowns.

"Do you want me to go? I don't mind." She turns to go.

"No. It's fine. Trunks offer your guests refreshments. Be polite!" Trunks rolls eyes his.

"Do you want -

"Don't roll your eyes or make that face at me!

"-refreshments, guests?"

Bulma leaves the teens to their peace.

"I could use some grub. Get me food." Goten pulls the remote control from the air and turns on the TV. Valese sits down at the end of the sofa.

"-_The American senator is still missing. He was last seen a week ago leaving his office. His wife called the local authorities when he didn't come after two days-"_

Valese's heart stops. The picture of the missing man. She's seen him before! Oh. Dear, dear. He's dead. Or at least maybe.

"I know that man." She says to the boys.

"Yeah?" Goten prompts.

"He's dead." She says this akin to someone declaring love to cheese.

Goten chokes on air and Trunks stares at her incredulous. She can casually make these kind of statement. Truly amazing.

"How'd you know?" Trunks asks, Goten still hasn't learned how to speak.

"I saw it. I told you about it. When I was at home in my alley, there this pink light and he sort of vanished. Unless. Maybe. He teleported? But he sounded like he was in pain."

Trunks and Goten share a worried look.

"Did you see who did it? Killed him? Made him go bye, bye?" Goten had a hint of seriousness in his voice Valese wasn't sure how she felt about it yet.

"No. Just. This awful laughter."

"Right."

"Should I call the news and tell them that he's dead?" Valese bites her lip. Unsure of what to do.

"Maybe you should wait and see if he shows up?" Goten isn't convincing.

"I think he's dead." She says with more feeling.


	6. Help!

_Thanks for the reviews, you sexy people. Pleased you enjoy my disturbing plots and character studies!_

_

* * *

_

They have been parked outside Goten's house for a good half hour. Bless supped up engines. Trunks dropped off Valese at the shelter, he had hoped she chose to stay there and she made no comments to say otherwise.

"We should do something." Goten said quietly. His eyes were glued to his hands while Trunks looked into nothing in front of him.

"About what?" His voice low and mind so far way.

"Valese saw something. Maybe an alien, kill someone. We should do something. She could be in danger."

Trunks welcomed the silence. He didn't know what t say or to think.

"She's been fine so far." He said.

"Doesn't matter. It could track her down."

"What could? She saw a light and that's all."

Trunks didn't know if he could grip the wheel any tighter. Bless his supped up car. Goten felt the anger and adrenaline in his veins. Deep breaths should do the trick. Maybe.

"Energy blasts are bright lights that eviscerate."

Bleak thoughts came to both their minds.

"If an alien saw her, she'd be dead but she's not. Valese is fine."

Goten though for a moment. He needed a new approach.

"We could investigate the senator. Maybe he was dealing with something he couldn't handle."

"If it makes you feel better. I don't know what you expect to find." His voice sounded so flat and stoic.

"I don't think she's safe in the shelter either."

"What do you propose then? Adoption?"

"Yes."

Goten said without a moment's hesitation

"What?" He asked when he noticed his friend's annoyed expression.

"So you're going to adopt Valese? To keep her safe? And this will be done how?"

Goten closed his eyes and bite his bottom lip, deep in thought. Thought occurred! He snapped his fingers and his eyes opened.

"My mom always wanted a daughter-"

"That's not going to work. 'Hey ma, I know you always wanted a daughter, happy birthday'" Trunks raised his eyes skyward.

"Okay, so maybe I wont word it exactly like that."

"I'm not worried."

"I really like her."

"I know."

Silence took them over. It wrapped around them like a tight blanket and threatened to suffocate

"Does she really live in an alley by herself?"

Trunks pressed the button on the driver side door and unlocked the car. Goten placed his hand on the door handle.

"You should go in now. You mom's probably worried."

"I know you. You want to pretend that you don't feel anything but you don't fool me."  
Goten slipped out of the car and slammed it shut.

* * *

_Dark. Dank. Quiet. Alone. The lights were not allowed to be to turned in on in case her family needed to use the basement. The lights were not allowed to be turned in to spare the family from the pain of seeing It. It was the devil. The vile creature that shouldn't exist and had no right to breathe._

_It wasn't too bothered by the lack of the light because some sun had seeped through the window. The only window in the basement. It also wasn't too long before It had found some matches and a lantern. Sure, it wouldn't last because there had been no oil to replenish but for a time, she'd had some light._

_Its mother always said that light shall overcome the darkness and that's what It had wanted-to overcome the darkness of its life and the room._

_Unlike the people upstairs It had no proper name or title so It had decided to come up with its own. It chose Tick for a time. There was poem she found amongst the boxes and fell in love with the word. Tick. It didn't know what tick meant and It didn't know what It was so the name fit._

_Tick had grown tired of that name after awhile and then found a new one on the box a board game she played with Regina. Tick's new name? Valese. That felt right. Valese. The way it flowed on her tongue and rang in her eyes and swirled around in the air. That was the name._

_The family upstairs made their visits more frequent after It chose the new title._

_"If we can cleanse you, you're welcome in our hearts." The man, her father had said. They stopped saying "It" and now used "her, she, thing" But no Valese. Never Valese._

_She welcomed the cleansing and hoped that with all her heart that she could be purged of the filth and the sin. She wanted to be loved and to be with the light. Her mother had taken the lantern some time ago._

_"The water will help purify you." Her father said. Valese had been ordered to sit in the bathtub. The water had been hot. Scolding. Her skin had turned red and small welts were forming all over her body._

_"Now."_

_He placed the palm of his hand on her forehead and pushed it down. He pressed her head down until it touched the bottom of the tub and he held it there._

_"How long do we have to wait?" Her mother asked. His father didn't tear his gaze from her._

_"Until the bubbles stop."_

Valese sat up too fast for her comfort. Her head started to spin. Sweat covered her body. These memories were starting to come back to her more frequent. She hadn't realized how much she had missed her family.

This place, this shelter that Trunks had taken to wasn't sitting well with her. The walls were too white and the people were not interesting. They complained. A lot. Blah. Blah. Blah. Some ran from home because they didn't have an allowance. To be fair though, Valese isn't entirely sure what that is.

There is something terrible wrong with this place. Valese brought her knees to her chest and hugged them. No sleep for the rest of the night. Bed's too soft and the lack of traffic sounds didn't sit well with her.

But.

She'd promised Trunks without the words that she'd give this place a try and for some reason it mattered to him where she slept and lived. She will not deny her first friend of human flesh a request.

* * *

"We could have pies lined up all along the counter." Valese had pen and pad in hand and a very serious expression on her face. Goten used all his self control to not to take her right there.

"Pies. Love pie." His heaven would be a bakery.

"I know. What hot foods should we have? Crepes. Those tiny cocktail weenies. Oooh! Something with cheese." Valese wrote furiously on the pad.

"Um. We would need a lot of food."

Valese nodded.

"I know. I love food. Balloons? No?" Goten shrugged.

"I guess but don't over do it."

"No glitter. It tastes disgusting."

Goten imagined her eating vials of glitter. She shined more than a diamond. His diamond.

"Is there a party protocol?"

"Hmm?"

"Are we expected to perform certain tasks at this? I've never planned or been to a party before. Do we dress up?"

Ah.

"You can dress up, if it's a fancy party or a theme costumed one but Trunks's not into either of those so just wear what you would normally wear."

"Oh."

"And traditionally we bring presents to the birthday boy/girl."

"Presents?"

"Yeah. It's a gift. You wrap it up and give it to the person celebrating their birthday."

Valese tapped her pen against her chin.

"What is the gift traditionally?"

Goten shrugged.

"You chose it. Thee's no tradition as to what you give. Can be something he wants or something that reminds you of him. Up to you."

"Ah. Okay. Thank you. Does Trunks have more friends than you?"

This took him by surprise and he tried not to feel insulted.

"What?"

"You and me. We're his friends but does he have anymore?"

"Oh. My brother and some of my dad's friends. We sort of grew up without kids our own age."

"I grew up in darkness." Valese says while wriitng something else down.

"Valese." He wasn't sure how to finish that sentence. She looked up from writing and looked directly into his eyes. His knees turned to jello and he felt his heart beat inside his head.

"Yes?"

He opened his mouth but no words came out.

"Nice hat."

Valese blinked and felt the top of her head.

"I'm not wearing a hat?"

Frack. His tried to fight the shades of his face. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Nice hat? He wanted to bang his head into the wall but couldn't because he knew it would go through the fracking thing!

"I. Alley."

"Alley?"

He opened his mouth to speak but the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he moved forward. Fast and without thinking, grabbed Valese by the waist and they ended up on the other side of the counter. An explosion from outside shook the foundation of the diner, shattered the windows.

Valese felt every fiber of her core shake. Loud static hum, piercing, stabbed her brain and her ears.

Another explosion. Valese hugged Goten. He was firm and solid as a rock.

"What's going on?" She whispered.

"I don't know."

Valse pushed Goten away and hopped over the counter, her body still shaking. Stepping over glass, she walked though the once existing windows. Goten joined her side.

"Oh."

The building next to the diner was gone. All that's left? Smoke and a crater.

"Holy shit storm, Batman!"

Valese nodded, her mouth agape and frowning,

"Rosie."

Her blood turned cold. She ran before she could think.

"Valese!"

He caught her by the waist before she made it to the alley.

"Let me go! Rosie! She's in there!" Valese bit his hand and soon regretted such action. Her teeth felt like they had touched down on rock. Her jaw was not amused either. She didn't strop struggling.

"Whatever did this could still be there!" He prayed her jaw wasn't broken.

"Eh dun car!"

Well on the bright side Goten got his proof that Valese is indeed in danger. If one can call that a bright side.

* * *

"The building what?" Trunks handed Valese a cup of tea. She didn't accept or acknowledge that his presence.

"I want Rosie." Her voice is harsher than usual.

"She probably ran away." Goten wasn't very convincing.

"So how did the building. . explode without the diner?"

"I want Rosie." She repeated with more feeling. Goten flinched.

"We can look for her." Trunks offered.

"Why would someone do this?"

"Did you see who."

Valese and Goten both shook their heads.

"She's not safe." Goten said.

Trunks said nothing.

"Something wants her dead. It knows she saw the American die."

"I didn't see anyone but light." Valese said.

"It saw you." Goten reached for her hand but she stood up.

"But I work in the diner. If something wants me to die why wouldn't it attack there?"

"It knows you live in the alley."

She closed her eyes and something clicked inside.

"I know what this is." She said softly.

"Trunks I think we should-"

"I'm being punished. It wasn't complete." She clenched her hands into her hair by her temples.

"I'm bad. Unclean."

Trunks watched her. Goten reached out to her but she pushed his away with her elbow.

"Don't touch me!"

Then horror struck her as if she ran into a brick wall. She and Goten and he. He touched her. Skin on skin and oh, no, no. no. Her chest filled with anguish, acid and pain. Her insides churned hard. She is vile and dangerous.


	7. Killer, Interlude

Scrub. Scrub. Rinse. Lather. Scrub. Rinse. Lather. Scrub. Rinse. Scrub. Lather. Hot water kills most germs. Cold water doesn't do much so the water really should be as hot as it can be. The skin needs to feel the heat so it is normal if your skin should welt and turn pink and it's not really blood, that. Because it can't be.

It can't be human blood because you're not human so it's okay. You can pretend. Just pretend.  
Close eyes and go back to where it's safe. Basement. Dark.

"Valese, are you all right in there kid? I'm opening up in thirty minutes. Hurry up." Biff knocked his hands against the bathroom door before attending to something boss like and important. He was the man in this place. Lots of overseeing of glass clean up.

"You're insane for wanting to open up. The building next to us exploded! Do you really think people want to eat here right now? Also, we have no damn windows!" Cory leaned against the wall next to the door to the bathroom.

Scrub. Scrub. Scrub.

"Val, are you done yet?"

Faster. Faster. Clean. Clean. Clean.

"I'm coming in sweetie, can't wait much longer."

Ignore. Must clean.

"Oh my God. What are you doing?"

"It's not real blood."

Valese dropped the brillo pad and continued to rinse her arms. Cory grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. Blood trailed down from her elbows. Her apron had been stained with blood smudges and droplets.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'm not clean."

Cory pulled her close and held her tight. Valese sighed. She couldn't reach the sink.

"It's dangerous."  
"Yes. I know. You should be careful. Do you need to see a doctor? Pick up some medication? My cousin had a stair thing."

"I'm okay with stairs. Please let me go. You may die."

Cory let the girl go.

"You don't have a disease or something do you?"

"I need to finish cleaning.. I'll be safe when it's done."

Cory turned the faucet off and held Valese's hands and led her out of the bathroom. Her legs felt like jelly and she prayed that she didn't lose balance.

"I think you should take the day off." She led Valese to where the main door used to be.

"You can't give me the day off. Do I scare you? It's not real blood. My mom told me so."

"I'm the head waitress and I can give you the day off if I want and I think you need some time to rest and get help. So. Go on." She gave Valese a little push out of the once door and waved her off.

* * *

"He hasn't left his room for two days. This is getting ridiculous." Chi Chi was not amused. Far from it. She was at sympathetic for the first hour and then a little annoyed at the first half of the first night. Now she's irritated and plumb over it.

"Could be worse. Remember Michelle?" Her husband was not helping matters.

Michelle was the last girl that Goten has claimed he loved and they only lasted half a week before he dumped her for someone else and once that relationship went sour, he tried to get Michelle back. Michelle, however had moved on to "someone older and more mature," and that devastated the boy.

"I remember the poems." Chi Chi felt a migraine was imminent if she continued this trek down memory lane.

"He wore all black and played that terrible music."

"That was the funeral march."

Chi Chi rubbed her temples.

"We got lucky with Gohan. He only had one girlfriend and married her." Chi Chi reached out for a chair. She had requested her husband help her draw out a battle plan. She wished she hadn't used those words.

"Goten does offer us some entertainment. Better than those shows you watch. Anyway, if you cover the north yard-"

"We need to do something. He can't keep doing this. He needs to meet a nice girl. How old is Marron now?"

" She's ten. As I was saying if you take the north-"

Chi Chi frowned. She really thought if Marron was in her teens, that could be a match that worked. There had to be someone.

"What are you talking about anyway? North yard of what?"

"You said draw up a battle plan. We're playing assassins, remember? This weekend?"

Chi Chi slammed her fist on the table. She liked the dramatics.

"I'm talking about our son here, not some stupid game!"

Before he could respond, Goten entered the room, dressed like a rabbi, his costume from last year's CC fancy dress bash.

"I've decided to grow up and stop wasting my time on girls and sex. I'm going to be a priest. Or a monk. One of those. I haven't decided yet. I'm going to research both before I make a full commitment. I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused."

Goten lowered his head and left the kitchen and headed for the front door. Goku and Chi Chi looked at each other.

"Did that just happen?"

Chi Chi slammed her head against the table.

She really wanted more grandkids.

* * *

Trunks did not care. He did not need friends. He was perfectly fine being alone. He liked being alone. So Valese freaked out on him a few days ago?

Do not need her. No sir. And yes, he did have a terrible row with Goten as soon as she left when he said he didn't need to chase after her. If she can live on the streets and be fine, she doesn't need someone to run after her.

He had two friends and went to none in the matter of minutes. Trunks was perfectly happy with this. Friends. Who needs friends?

She looked so scared when she- no. No.

No.

Trunks turned over on his bed and stared at the wall. Plain wall. Ordinary. Exactly how Valese wasn't.

Stop.

He switched on his back and faced the ceiling.

When he was younger he and Goten used to lay upside down and pretend the world was upside down and they could walk on ceilings and walls.

STOP.

Trunks sat up and grabbed his head.

This room. It was hot and he needed air. Trunk grabbed his jacket that he didn't really need and left his room as if it were on fire.

He didn't need friends.

They just complicated everything.

He wanted them because they kept it away.

"Trunks?"

He looked up. He didn't know he went anywhere. His legs led him here. He laughed bitterly. Of course they did.

"Hey yourself," He looked down and shuffled his feet. He kicked around some ruble. Instead of some hell zone and crater, it just looked like a leveled building.

"She's not here."

"Who?"

"Rosie." Valese picked up some brick and tossed it.

"The rat?"

"My friend." She said with a harsh tone that she didn't recognize. She tossed more bits and pieces but still no Rosie.

"You ran away. The other day."

"Yes." She tossed more fragments. She walked to a new pile and hoped.

"You scared Goten. He really thinks something wants to hurt you." His feet led him closer to her and denied that it meant anything. She turned and faced him. He tried not to noticed the blood on her clothing and face.

"Do you?"

"Is that your blood?"

"It's not real."

She turned back to the new pile and he stared at his shoes.

"If I said I cared would you pretend I didn't?"

She looked up. They stared at each other as if for the first time meeting. The wind blew, the sun went down and the moon lit them up.


	8. My Castles In the Sky, In Ruins

I don't understand a lot of things. I don't understand why someone destroyed my home or some can vanish in bright pinkish light. I don't understand why he looks so sad. He left some time after dark and I don't know why I didn't want him to. He's gone home, I think. I don't know why he doesn't like pie or why he hates to eat or why he makes feel . . something that I don't know.

I'm not used to a lot of things. I'm not used having people ask me a lot of questions about home and I'm just not used to people asking me questions because they didn't exist before. I was alone in the basement and I had books and the family in my head and upstairs.

They were not happy and I don't blame them. I came up once. It was very bright. I don't remember climbing the stairs to the top but I turned the handle on the door and after ten seconds of intense light, I saw a face. I think it was my brother because he was young looking. He looked scared of something. After I time I came to realize that it was me who scared him so much. After that I decided not to go up the steps and stay down in the basement.

My parents tried to help rid me of the evil inside by cleansing me but that didn't do anything. I tried to help but it was useless. They finally gave up and I don't blame them. I don't want to cause them anymore pain so I am happy to stay away even though I miss them. It's not their fault I'm so disgusting. I wish there was something I could do.

When I'm with Trunks I don't feel like the monster that I know I am. I feel human or at least what I think it feels like to be human. I feel like a normal girl that I know I'm not. I just wish I could understand him. Understand why he looks so sad or why he doesn't like pie. If Rosie is gone forever I know I'll be okay because I still have him. It's a terrible thing to admit or feel but I am evil- Trunks, I think. Is the important friend in my life. He's also the only human friend I've ever had.

I'm glad he came to me. I was alone and he came and then it didn't feel so sad. I didn't know a few days alone again could be so hard once I had a human in my life. We didn't say much in words but we say everything that needed to said. He stayed with me and I stood there with him. He left and I continued to search for Rosie. We said goodbye but not goodbye. He's still here even though he left.

I don't know why I ran when I did but it felt like the right thing to do even though I know in my head it was wrong but my legs wouldn't stop. My touch is not good. It can kill. My mom said so and why would she lie to me about something like that? She wouldn't. I don't know why I didn't think about it.

I don't know if someone wants to kill me but they did kill my old new home. I live in a new place that Trunks told me about and I don't like it so much. I sleep under the bed and they think I'm strange. They don't have pie and they ask me about my parents and I don't like talking about that. My parents are good. Why do they want to know so much about them? What did they do to them? Nothing. So why can't they just leave me alone? Sometimes being alone is good. Sometimes it's what you need.

I feel strange around Goten and I don't know entirely why. It's a different kind of feeling than with Trunks. I want to know things about Goten that I don't want to know about Trunks. I wonder strange things.

Sometimes I wonder what his lips taste like. I think they'd taste how rain feels. I don't know though. I don't know why I think about that or why I feel bad that I don't know or why I care that I don't know. I don't think Trunks knows and i haven't asked him. I don't think I will.

I feel worse about not talking to him after I ran. It's only been a few days but it feels like years and I don't know why that is either. It feels like a few days since I talked to Trunks because I know it has only been a days but with Goten, it's years and years and I feel awful inside.

I wish I could explain to him why I ran but I don't know if he can handle it. He should be someone who is human and her touch wont hurt him. I know he has held my hand but that doesn't mean he's safe. Maybe small doses like that will lead to some sort of deadly reaction and he'll drop dead and it will have been all my fault.

I want to tell him so much so badly but the words leave my lips and enter the ether and I can't find them again. They're gone and the moment is gone and we say nothing and just stare.

One day. One day it will be right and good and i can say what I need to say. He may hate me but at least the words will have been said and the ether cannot take that from me.

* * *

The wind blew in a cool breeze. That is what wind does on good days. It had been a good day for Krillin. His wife was in good spirits. She did something that she hardly ever does-she cooked breakfast for the entire household. In order to keep her good mood he had cleaned the dishes and she promised him some fun fun time later. Ooooh. This day!

Currently, he's lounging outside on his favorite chair, drinking his favorite tropical beverage. The sounds of the waves in the not so distance started to lure him to sleep. Any moment now. His eyelids felt so heavy-he closed his eyes, exhaled and welcomed the peaceful darkness.

"Hey, Krillin." Goten said after a short dramatic sigh.

Krillin opened one eye and looked up. Goten was standing next to him, his head hung low and dressed as a . . a Rabbi. Krillin raised his glass to his lips and took in the sweet liquid.

"What's up, bro." He opened his other eye and tried to contain his own sigh. Goten kicked sand up, the wind pick up the kicked sand and it landed in his-Krillin's, face.

"You were a monk." Goten says softly before turning his head to look at his old friend. Krillin frowned. The sand had gotten into his drink.

"I was. Why?" Krillin slowly and carefully tried to pour out only the sand particles from his glass. It resulted in mostly the emptying of his glass.

"What do you have to do to sign up to become a monk?" Krillin nearly dropped his glass. His full attention was given to the boy.

"What?" Had his hearing started to go? Did this kid really ask how to become a monk?

"I want to become a monk. Maybe." No. His heading was fine.

"Are you serious?" He couldn't be serious. Goten? Wasn't he . . advanced with the ladies?

"Yes. I'm giving up on dating and girls." Krillin stared at the teen in front of him. He was really the son of Chi Chi. He had a lot of her dramatic nature.

"That's a stupid reason to become a monk." He brought his glass to his lips only to remember that most of his drink had been poured out. He tried fight his sad.

"I thought you would be supportive. You were a monk." Goten whined. He didn't like being told no and Krillin was basically doing that.

"You always get over your girl problems. You'll move on like usual. Being a monk wont do anything. You also have to give up all earthly pleasures, Goten. All of them. Can you do that?"

Goten considered this.

"Go home. You'll be fine eventually."

"It feels different. This time. This girl. She's not like the others." Goten kicked at the sand again. Krillin put his hands up to protect his face but failed.

"Maybe you should to talk her then." He really to say to stop kicking the damn sand in his face but he felt the boy needed positive energy or he'd never leave.

"I wish I knew how." He frowned.  
"Just do what we men do-wing it." And then fly far away. But Krillin didn't say that either.

"Maybe. Thanks."

And as if the gods has listened to his prays the boy left. Krillin exhaled happily and closed his eyes. He forgot about the sandy and now mostly empty drink and welcomed the peaceful dark.

* * *

In order to make a profit Chi Chi and her husband started to garden and sold some of their produce to vendors and stores in the city. This help fund their renovations on their house. They added an extra story and a new bedroom, bathroom and a small kitchen.

When Goten left for higher education Chi Chi and Goku had planned to rent out the extra bedrooms and space upstairs. They liked they now could make money on their own without having to rely on Chi Chi's father.

They also decided to rent some of their land. They didn't to sell it out right and have someone develop tacky properties or build a mall. That would be tragic. They decided to have it be a camp site instead. Nature could still be nature and no mall would be built.

For the next few days the Lennox family were having a reunion and paid a nice amount of money to use the land as their area of operations. Chi Chi put the money in her vacation fund.

Han and Logan were the youngest of the Lennox boys and they took off to explore. They liked adventure and loved danger that came along with it. They've been hunting in Africa, they went white water rafting and so on. Their mothers were busy preparing for lunch so they didn't pay too much attention to their restless boys.

After several minutes or so of playing variations of tag they ran off into the wilderness. Han's father watched them run off but though nothing of it. The boys always came back around dinner. Today wasn't anything different.

Han and Logan found a stream. They decided to imitate something they've seen in a film and grabbed sticks. They were going to catch fish and maybe that will impress their cousin and get her to shut up.

"I'll catch the biggest fish!" Han held his stick in his hands as if a mighty spear ands stabbed the water. The force was too much for said stick and it snapped.

"I'm going to get more fish." Logan climbed in the water and started to stab randomly. Han watched for a few moments before going back to the clearing and look for more tough sticks.

It wasn't too long after Han left that Logan started to feel cold. Not from the water, his clothing was wet and the breeze was nice but it wasn't that kind of cold. Something else. He didn't like it.

He tried to ignore it.

"Boy."

Logan turned around fast. No one was behind him. Had he imagined a voice? He went back to his stick jabbing. He felt cold again. Inside. Fish, Stab. Jab. Fish. He tried to focus. He needed to get fish. His cousin needed to learn.

"Over here."

He heard trees move and animals flee. He looked up and around. Nothing. No one. He was alone.

"Han, is that you?"

No answer.

He moved forward hoping to be near a high population. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood up and his heart sped up. Then he heard it. That awful scream. He knew the sound of that voice.

"Han!"

He ran out of the stream and into the clearing where they came through. Han was no where.

"Han?"

He held the stick in his hands like a mighty weapon. He pressed forward.

"Han?"

No answer. No sign of him. He wen deeper into the wild. It was quiet. No birds. No animals were calling to each other. Young were not asking for mommy and no animals seemed to be hunting. The wind didn't exist in this part either.

"Han?"

His foot got caught in something. He looked down and lifted his foot. Some sort of pink gummy residue.

He tried to get his foot free but it fight him almost. He slipped the shoe off. The shoe was completely over taken.

"Han?" A voice said from behind. It was mocking him. He raised his stick.

Laughter. High pitched. Ear piercing laughter. It didn't sound like a human's or any hyena. Logan's heard and felt his heart beat inside his head and held the stick so tight his knuckles had turned white.

He screamed as a pink light took over his body and wrapped around him tight.

When the boys didn't come back at sundown the men out looking for them. The mother's slaved away all day for this dinner and damnit no bratty kid was going to ruin it for the others. The mother's said no one was to eat until the entire family had gathered. So Han and Logan's fathers decided to go retrieve their boys.

They boys seemed to have disappeared. No signs of any humans that have ventured this far.

"Han! Logan! Get your sorry asses out here right now!" Han's father liked results and refused to leave until they were found. Logan's father was just hungry.

"Logan, you had your fun now come on!" They continued to move in further and further.

Soft. Low. Whisper. Like the wind only not. More human. Soft. Low. Rapid. High. Low.

Han's father turned around. Something inside him told to go to the bush. The bush. Something about the bush. It was plain but not. He felt his feet lead him and his hand raised and pushed back branches.

Curled. Dirty. Crying. Han. He had his arms wrapped around him and chunks of material had been missing from his clothing. He had tiny scratches all over his arms.

"Han?"

He screamed and tried to move as fast as he could. Han's father moved forward and grabbed his son by the waist. His son beat hist him. He punched, wiggled and screamed and swore.

"It's me! It's Dad. Han."

He relaxed and allowed his father to hold him and held him in return tightly as he could.

"Where's Logan?"

"That monster took him!" He buried his face into his father's chest.

"Monster? Lo-Logan?"

Han and his father returned to the camp while Logan's father continued to look for his son. He returned at dawn, sonless. The boy was nowhere.

"The pink monster took him!" Han said. He was cleaned up now and his father and mother hadn't left his side. His cousin, Verna did not believe him.

"You're a liar, Han!" She said boldly. Her mother swatted her head.

"No I'm not! A pink monster took him and tried to take me!" Han's mother rubbed his back lovingly.

"Monster's aren't real!" Verna countered.

He said nothing more on the subject. He knew what he saw and he knew what happened. He leaned into his mother and pushed the darkness back.

* * *

Hercule watched his friend worriedly. Something isn't right. Usually Boo was happy. Very happy. Slap happy to the point of annoyance. He was bouncy and played with the dog until the dog passed out.

Not today. It was as if he were in some sort of trance. He said nothing. Ate nothing. Did not play with the dog or the his toys. He sat in the center of the room, his eyes closed, head low and silent.

"Um. Boo, I got this new chocolate spread and cinnamon chips!" Boo loved chocolate. He remained silent and unmoving.

"Did you hear me? I said I have chocolate!"

His eye opened. Game face on. Seriously serious. He looked straight into Hercule.

"Boo?" Hercule asked quietly

"Bad." His friend said simply.

"Chocolate is bad?" Hercule was about to ask who this impostor was.

"Bad Boo." He stood and waddled to the door that led to the balcony. He opened door and walked out. Hercule followed him.

"Bad Boo? What does that mean?" He hoped it didn't mean he was again. Boo was his best-er-only friend.

His friend looked up at the sky. His face still in serious mode.

"Boo?"

"Bad Boo."

"The evil one?"

His friend nodded.

"He's back?"

"Yes." He said in his high pitched voice.

"But he's dead!"

Boo said nothing more as he gazed at the stars.

* * *

"I need a lawyer. Apparently." Ch Chi said the next day over tea. Bulma had not expected to hear this.

"Why? Did Goku get banned from somewhere again?" Chi Chi shook her head.

"No. You know how we rent some of our land to people? Well, this family was having a reunion and their son went missing. They're threatening to sue us." Chi Chi frowned into her cup. She did not having to repeat that.

"I see. Did an animal take the boy?" That wasn't unheard of. The land that Chi Chi and Goku rented out was home to several wild animals.

"I don't know. There is another boy who says a monster took him. His mother wants me to pay for his therapy."

"That poor kid." Bulma took a sip of her tea.

"I feel for the family. I really do but I don't know how I am responsible for terrible parenting."

"You're tangible, Chi. They can blame you because they know you. You own the land their kid went missing on. Of course they blame you." She held her head high. She was right.

"It's not fair. Everything was going good for us. Our gardening was making money. I had a granddaughter. Goten was taking school seriously and I didn't need Dad's money. Now this happens." Chi Chi sighed and raised a hand to touch her left temple.

"It's not fair a boy is missing. I can give you my lawyer's contact info."

_Across the land another set of friends were having a chat._

"Hey."

He didn't know what to say or how she knew where he lived. He also wasn't aware he said those things out loud.

"Trunks told me. He dropped me off. I don't like his car." She looked down. He looked up.

"You ran away."

She nodded slightly. She tried not to meet his eyes.

"I did." She confirmed.

"I don't remember what happened. I remember you were scared." He dared to look at her. He looked in her eyes, only for a moment.

"You make me feel weird." She said it. She felt some ease off her shoulders and chest.

"I'm sorry?"

"I don't know to explain it. But I feel weird. Around you. I like it. I think. Spending time with you makes me . . I don't know. It's nice."

He felt good inside. He tried to contain the urge to dance but he wasn't sure how long he could control himself.

"If I held your hand, would you promise not to die?" She looked into his eyes and looked into her.

Without words he took her hand in his.

"Goten?"

He wanted to capture this moment forever. He closed his eyes. He counted the seconds.

"Who's that?"

He opened his eyes. He wasn't expecting to see him.

"Hey Boo." He sighed.


	9. Enjoy The Silence

The air is different. Something else is present, layered in underneath. Trying to appear innocuous while waiting to show its true point of reason. Something is wrong. Very wrong.

The sun is shining too brightly and the sounds of animals fighting, living, dying, are slowly reaching a silence. Silent but not silent. There is always something. Even in the absence of something plainly and clearly present, there is something there, beneath the layers and between.

Goten leads Valese inside his home so two forces of power could meet, speak, lament and plan. Something has come. Something has gone. More will fall. Something wasn't right.

The trek to the kitchen is taken in silence. Goten still held her hand and she looked away with purpose. She couldn't admit that she liked how his hand feels or the thoughts racing in her head or why her heart-don't be silly, she doesn't. She can't have a heart. Only humans do and she's sure as all is not one.

"You're alive." Goten said as he let of her hand. She felt the room spin but she recovered. She's always doing that. He walked behind the counter and she met him on the opposite side. Silence crept in again, threatening to devour. Waiting. Haunting. Hunting.

"You're the one in danger, you know." Valese says in a tone she doesn't know. Her voice doesn't sound like her voice but how can she be speaking in a different voice? Perhaps holding his hand drove her to madness.

"Trunks. We were planning something for him. His birthday is tomorrow. The diner is out. Is it safe?" Goten started to play with the various items on the counter. He wanted to keep them in action. His hand missed hers.

"We closed. Well, they'll close. We can still use pie. If anything is safe. Where are we going to have it now though." Valese looked inside herself and tried to find an answer. Goten looked at her body because he couldn't help himself. When she opened her eyes, he turned away, pretending the counter was interesting again.

"We could have it here. Big open space. Mom loves to cook. She wouldn't mind."

"Who is that outside?" She remembers she saw something in his eyes. It's gone now. He blinked a few times and rubbed the back of his neck. He does this a lot, she noticed, when trying to stall or think of something to say. Possibly lie. But she trusts him.

"He's a friend of my Dad's, I guess. I don't know why he's here. He didn't look really happy."

"Is he going to the party?" Goten made a strange sound with his throat.

"I don't think that would be a good idea." Sometimes she thinks she knows things more than others. Somethings she doesn't think she knows anything at all.

"It wouldn't." They stand in silence in again. Neither dare to speak for a few moments. Courage is a hard beast to tame at times.

"Goten?" Valese takes the reigns. He looks over but tries not to look at her.

"Yeah?"

"We were planning a party?" She smiles for the first time since she's been over.

"Right."

His father's meeting with Boo didn't last for too long. He came back inside, all so serious. Goten almost didn't recognize him, but he whatever it had been, that Boo has wanted or said to him could not have been good.

"Trouble?" He tried to sound casual. Valese was there and she didn't know things yet. He didn't know if should he should start off with-start what?

"Hm. Oh. He came over to give me advice on lawyers." His father's stupid grin was back. His father had been an expert over the years on playing stupid. It had been easier to be the easy going, fun loving one. Besides Chi had been serious enough for the both of them.

"You're not being sued over food again are you?" Goten groaned in frustration. Valese perked up at the mention of food.

"Why would you be in trouble for liking food? That's stupid." She looked at Goten longer than he had expected. He stared back stupidly. She moved her head in his father's direction.

"What?"

Valese took the reigns again and waved furiously at Goku. Goten finally caught on but it was too late. The process has already begun.

"I'm Valese. Mostly." She put her hand back down, for safety reasons.

"I'm-" before he could answer his wife entered, loudly, angrily with their elders at her heels.

"I'm not saying I agree but you have to take this seriously!" Gohan hated arguing with his mother.

"It's not my fault that their son is missing. They are responsible for their children. I rented the land. That's all I'm responsible for!" Ch Chi walked past her husband and into the kitchen, not taking in the girl she's never seen before or the list on the counter.

"Exactly! You are responsible for not warning them of all the dangers. They can argue this. I' m not saying they will win the case but-"

"It doesn't matter anyway. Bulma is giving us her legal team." She waved her, dismissing her son's words. This new information brought Goku in.

"You got Bulma involved?" He wasn't sure how he felt about that one.

"I vented to her and she offered. She's my friend too." Chi Chi turned around and stared at Valese. The stranger in her house.

"Hello."

"That's my mom and the nerd over there is my brother, Gohan." Valese waved and Gohan glared at his brother before turning his attention to Valese.

"Nice to meet you, are you his girlfriend?" Chi Chi looked at her husband with a pained expression. He shrugged his shoulders.

Before she could elicit any kind of response, Chi Chi's spoke. She finally read what was written on the paper.

"This is a list of food. Are you shopping?"

"Actually, we're planning a party." Valese replied happily.

"Uh huh. What kind of party?" She asked her son this one.

"Well. You remember how that building exploded for no reason? Well, we were holding a birthday party for Trunks at the diner next to it, but part of it got damaged to so, we're having it here tomorrow." He finished his sentence with a bright smile.

"And you expect me to just cook everything, don't you?"

"The diner is providing most of the food. We're just making lists of what to include." Valese saved Goten's social life with that.

"Does Bulma know you took over?" His father asked. Goten turned on him, with the same bright smile.

"Well, I thought seeing as she is your best friend that if you suggested we take over, she would be fine with it."

"I'd think she's like to be involved."

"Who do you thinks bringing him here?"

* * *

Silence can save a life sometimes. Kelson thanked his parents inside his head while he held his breath. Had they not been obsessed by swimming and for him to be the best, he would not be able to hold his breath for as long as he is right at this moment.

The Organization played with fire. They should have known they would be burned, scorched and consumed by the flames in the end. When the sounds and the movement had ceased, Kelson dared to peak around the corner and checked.

All clear. Just the darkness and silence.

He looked down at his hands and the useless weapon he was holding in a death grip. His knuckles had turned white and his hands had gone numb, but he didn't care. Call it an irrational safety net, if you will. He felt better holding a gun that was useless than not having one.

The layout of the underground facility hadn't been too complicated. Hell, it was already built. They stumbled upon it by accident or, "fate." as Kiren had told him.

Kiren was gone. Like the others.

Kelson knew what he needed to, he just needed to get there. The power had been shut off to the facility. That included all the emergency back up. Lucky he wasn't afraid of the dark. He had a ten minute walk, in the dark to get to the surface. After that he had hours to go before he would hit the city.

All while he was being stalked by that creature. His people brought hell to this world. He pushed back his thoughts, remorse and sanity. Just need to focus on one thing.  
He counted to ten before he pushed himself off the wall and ran blindly in the dark.


	10. Behold, Like Fire

**Disclaimer:** I own what I own and nothing more. I also don't own anything/anyone you know. I own nothing and know one.

* * *

This is where I change everything. Reverse it or prolong or even disregard everthing that is known because I can. The clowds are parted, pie in the sky and it splits open and the guts are spilled. I don't know what to think or to say or feel but its mine to tell, I suppose.

Hope is a beautfil thing. That's how the Greeks described Hell. The absence of hope. It drives people forward and can keep that one bit of you sane. That's why I did it. Let it happen and come to this place. This void of, well. A void is a void. Can't really say much more about it.

It happened so fast, the destruction and chaos. I don't remeber much before this event. The sky I think was clear. I do remember that the person next to, (I like to think they were a person at some point,) turned black. Not black. But more charred. Burned to a crisp in an instant but not me. I just had some dust spray in my direction. I like to think of it as dust.

There was a hand held out to me. It was my light in the darkness and dust. I could hear the cries of the dying children and the pleas of their parents. The children were to die first. My savior was no Adonis or god. He was ugly and had reptilian features. He chose me and I allowed it.

He asked me what where I wanted to go. He would provide transport under the condition that I belonged to him. With the world at its knees around me, I couldn't think of a better alternative than that.

"Another world." I said clearly as I could. I held his hand tightly. I wasn't going to let him leave me behind. I dug my nails deep in those scales. I wasn't going to let go.

"Another world?" He asked.

"Nothing can be worse than this." I said.

He said some curious words and everything stopped. The cries, the dust and time. We had been in a dying city center and then it was as if nothing had happened. People were buzzing. Cars I've never seen before were on the streets. The world continued as normal.

He had done it. He took me to a new existence. I owed him everything and he took it all. I wouldn't say that out relationship had been happy. It was hardly emotional or physical. We lived in cohabited separate existence. For the simplicity of it, I loved him. It made things easier to understand. I made up stories to convince myself of this.

I learned over the course of the time we spent together the type of creature he was. Evil. That's what they had said. A power of this world he didn't expect killed him. They took his life as easily as he saved mine. He wanted to dominate this place. People tend to fight back when pressed enough and he didn't expect the laws of this world to join them.

His death was nothing to me. I feel no remorse. I tried. I couldn't. He did leave me with her. It. She is all I had left of our time together. She looks more like me than anything. I convinced myself that she was full of his darkness, the filth that he had been. I saw his other creations, his children. I felt sick when I looked at her.

I didn't name her. I didn't want to give her a name. She chose one for herself. Valese. The man I married agreed with me. Valese was a thing and would be treated as such. We kept her in the basement.

She was a locked up pet no one wanted. I referred to her as "It" to make it easier. One of my regrets is destroying her relationship with my son, her brother. He loved her. He played games with her in the basement and asked about her constantly. It was something I couldn't afford. The neighbors started to asked questions and I couldn't answer them.

I told my son that she would kill him. That she was the reason that he had nightmares. She wanted to eat his soul. She was nice to catch him off guard. At first he denied these claims but over time he accepted them. She scared him and at the end of it all I felt as though I had won. He stopped going down the basement and we carried on as if she didn't exist.

There came a point when me and my husband agreed that enough had been enough. We decided to give her up. I had her pack what little she had in a box and drove her to a random corner of a busy street downtown. She didn't complain or beg to stay. She accepted this. She tried to hug me before I left.

"I love you, Mama."

I felt my heart burst stop, burst into flames and leap out of my mouth. I said nothing and got into my car and drove a few miles before pulling over. I don't what came over me but tears spilled from my eyes like a dam bursting. I couldn't breath. I was disgusted, angry and sad. This was someone I had abused in every way imaginable. I refused her and abandoned her. How dare she. How could she make me feel this?

Two weeks after I dropped Valese off, I filed for divorce. My husband moved out and I tried to start over with my son. He has been going to random shelters now, hoping to find her. My son has stopped speaking to me and I do not blame him. I found her and have been keeping it from him.

I say found. I never lost her. I knew where she had been staying. Valese stayed in that corner where I had left her. I left her supplies but made sure that she didn't know it had been me. I gave her the flyer about the diner's job. I went to that school and gave them a proper address. She may not have needed me, but I did help her.

I'm the reason why there is a hole where she used to live. I didn't expect to see that thing. Not after so long. I didn't believe my eyes. I followed him. I say him but I don't think gender is really important in this case. Utter destruction. That fits better.

He saw me.

I did nothing.

He stood there in hideous glory and waited. Waited for me to speak, I would guess and I did.

"Where is he." I said trying to keep the tremble from my voice.

He said nothing.

"Your master. Your creator. That Wizard. Where is he? He's alive isn't he?"

Nothing. Not a sound. Not a flicker of understanding in those eyes.

"Where. Is. He." I clenched my fists. I wanted to hit him. Anger pulsed through my veins. The creature turned away.

"Hey!"

He turned back to me. I stood my ground. Then came that awful laughter. It made my teeth hurt and bones cry. He raised both hands. They were glowing. I ran as soon as I could feel my legs again.

I don't know what I was thinking confronting this awful thing on my own. Police couldn't help me either. My legs took me back to her. I felt sick. I knew I was going to die and I suppose I wanted to say my last words to her. My daughter.

I felt the heat of the blast but it was like a wave. I was pressed up against the brick wall of the diner and the actual ball of death zoomed passed me. The building that Valese had been using was destroyed. Completely leveled. The buildings on either side were mostly undamaged. This was a precise attack. I was meant to die that day. I took cover as my daughter ran out to find someone called Rosie. I wanted to talk to her right there but I'm a coward. I left while she was distracted.

The truth is none of this is really important. I just needed a distraction. He's here. I can hear him. I know what he is and how to end him. Perhaps he knows this. Maybe he doesn't. If these are going to be my final words then here they ar

* * *

I met him. He was there alone. I saw him standing there off to the side. He did his best to blend in with the world but I saw him. I wanted to go to him. His presence sang to me.

"That's my Dad." Trunks said. He must have noticed that I had been staring. The party had started a few minutes ago. The guests were bzz bzzz bzzing but Trunks stood by my side in the corner of it all.

"Your father? Why is he over there all alone?" He looked sad. All these people here and he stood alone. That wasn't right.

"He likes to be alone."

No one likes to be alone. I looked at Trunks. He was looking at the sky. I turned my attention to the food that had been placed for everyone. Three kinds of pie! How yum.

"Have you eaten yet?" I tried to distract myself and keep to the mission. He reached out for a plate.

"Not yet. Thank you. For this." He used his other hand and waved at everything. I nodded. I found myself looking over at his father again. This time he caught me. I turned away.

"Vegeta."

"What?" I looked around. I had no idea what that meant.

"My Dad," Trunks nodded in his direction," his name is Vegeta. You can talk to him if you like."

I said nothing and waited.

" He is a prince and hates everything. No. He likes martial arts and that's it, really."

"A prince?" I've never met royalty before. It was exciting. A true prince. How fantastic!

"Yup. Valese, you're salivating." I wiped my mouth and tried get composed.

"A prince."

"Introduce yourself. He wont bite." I looked at Trunks. His plate was empty. His food issues.

"Pie."

"Pie?"

I pointed to the table. He did not look amused and I did not care. I've only ever seen him eat once and I had to force him. The shelter I had been staying at told me that he could have some kind food disorder. I wouldn't ask now. It was a party.

"I'll eat the damn pie. I promise. Go talk to my dad before he starts a sparring match."

I nodded and left the corner. I felt strange. There was something different about that air around Vegeta. More static. Heavy.

"Hello."

He did not acknowledge me. I stepped closer. I repeated myself, louder this time.

No response.

Then it struck me. Perhaps he wanted a royal greeting? He was a prince. I got down to my knees and bowed my head.

"What are you doing?" His voice! It sounded like gravel and a broken machine. It was a beautiful sound.

"I'm bowing to you." I looked up for a moment. I thought he was surprised that I knew the proper way to greet a royal.

"Are you mocking me?"

"No! You're a prince. I'm submitting to your glory."

He looked at me and I him. The bzzing stopped. The air became light and I felt good. There was no noise, smell or animal. Just us.

"Stand up,"

I did without hesitation.

"You're Trunks's new friend."

"We're friends."

"He comes out of his room now." He looked at me for a moment before looking away.

"Oh. I don't have a room. Not my own. I share it with five others. They're nice though."

"Valese." He said my name! He said my name so seriously. I felt that surge of goodness again.

" That's my name!"

His features flickered a smile. Only for a moment.

"Duck."

I met him.

I met him and the world came down.


End file.
